Van der Gijp criticises how Ajax are handling summer signing

René van der Gijp cannot understand how Ajax are handling summer signing Marcos Leonardo. The Brazilian forward is still several kilos overweight, the football pundit believes.

Ajax paid €20 million for Leonardo last summer. The 23-year-old striker has scored only once so far and has made only substitute appearances in the Vriendenloterij Eredivisie. Míchel also brought Leonardo on as a substitute late against NEC (1-1).

In Van der Gijp's view, Ajax should have stepped in when it became clear Leonardo had arrived in Amsterdam overweight. "I get the impression with that Brazilian: he arrives five kilos overweight. You can measure that through body fat percentage," he says on KieftJansenEgmondGijp.

"Then, as a manager, I would say: we'll set aside five weeks to get rid of those five kilos. Until you've lost those five kilos, you won't train with the squad either. Train on your own with a separate trainer. Just get fit," says Van der Gijp, outlining his ideal approach for Leonardo.

Repeatedly bringing Leonardo on as a substitute is counterproductive, according to the pundit from Dordrecht. "I wouldn't bring him on, then. That's a bad start for the lad," Van der Gijp tells the Spanish Ajax manager.

Van der Gijp then compares Leonardo with Raheem Sterling, who played for Feyenoord last season. "The same thing happened with Raheem Sterling. Anyone can get fit. The right-back at VVV-Venlo and the left-back at NEC can too. They're fit. If you're not fit, you won't get past them, however frustrating that is. If Vinícius Júnior is six kilos overweight, he won't get past the right-back at ADO."

Off the pitch, Van der Gijp wonders what Leonardo does and what he eats. "I don't know whether he has a girlfriend or wife. Imagine he lives alone. Then he goes to little Brazilian places in Amsterdam to eat. We once ate at a Brazilian place in Scheveningen. That's 500 grams of meat and 400 grams of fat. And that's just the starter."